The Human Rights Commission (HRC) has welcomed a move by Queensland's Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) to take over investigations into deaths in police custody.

The CMC will investigate police-related deaths in custody, instead of police, after a coronial inquest into the 2004 death of Cameron Doomadgee in the Palm Island watch-house off Townsville recommended the move.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda says although he is concerned by some of the coronial findings, he says this will go some way to restoring public faith in the justice system.

Commissioner Gooda says change is imperative.

"All Australians, all Queenslanders, should be concerned at the report last week about how there was some problems with police investigating police," he said.

"I think we all need to have confidence in the justice system and I guess it will go some way to restoring particularly the faith of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the justice system."

Commissioner Gooda says he welcomes the CMC taking a bigger role in the investigations.

"It's the old saying of 'not only should justice be done, it should be seen to be done' and I think to have an independent body looking at what happened in a death in custody; particularly when police are involved, it just seems to have that independence," he said.

She says she fears if that does not happen, faith could be lost in the justice system.

"You certainly can't continue having government investigating government officials or the CMC investigating the police," she said.

"We certainly hope that they can take on board what some of the activists are saying - that they need an independent watchdog to be overseeing the CMC's investigation when it comes to deaths in custody.

"They need an independent body like a watch committee, a death in custody committee, overseeing or working alongside the CMC to make sure that there's no ethical standards breached as well."